POLL/CENSUS: Numbers Stamped on your Engine Lid . . .

[LongRanger]

I've been collecting some images for an album I've been putting together for 1059 . . . basically, all the updates + tweeks + idiosyncrasies + personal touches that identify the car

One of the images that I came across (again) was of some numbers stamped into the vertical latch-support of the alu lid. This particular lid was sourced on our site, and badged 911 'E.' Until I saw these numbers, I'd not seen/heard/read about anything being stamped on any lid, so . . . I'm curious

YES or NO?

. . . regardless of the model of your car and composition of your engine lid . . . does your lid have any numbers stamped anywhere?

[LongRanger]

To the Guy Who Just Voted 'yes' . . .

. . . any details or pictures?

What kind of car?

What numbers?

Where are they stamped?

And do the numbers correspond to anything on your car? . . . VIN? . . . build-number? . . .

[70SATMan]

Might want to list a differentiation between SWB and LWB because of the VIN stamping practice.

Could skew your results otherwise.

[Bullethead]

Checked all three thinking they'd be like my 356. Nope.

Michael, what's the diff in how SWB and LWB were stamped?

[endo911rs]

SWB cars have the last 3 digits of the vin and the "S" if applicable, stamped on the front fenders, doors and the rear deck lid. Not sure about the hood...

[Bobs 67S]

This is a SWB (1965), stamped on the center spar of the lid. The location is covered by the black plastic perch of the grille. It matches last three of the serial number.

(Also on the inside of the doors).

It looks like the "25" is stamped reading to the underside of the aluminum lid (in the previous post). The 1965 reads to the outside.

I've got a 911E aluminum lid, no number on it.

[Cliff]

My aluminum deck lid has no number stamp that I can detect....My 66 deck lid does have a matching three digit number stamp.....Cliff

[LongRanger]

The lack of alu lids reporting w/ numbers is bugging me

From some of the responses from people w/ early cars --- plus my experience w/ 356 . . . I'm thinking that the only reason for Porsche to put numbers on any body parts was to keep them straight when the cars got built up

So, Earlier 911 cars continued the 356 practice --- w/ steel body parts including lids --- stamped routinely. Not the case w/ later cars. Or many alu lids

Maybe the practice was discontinuing, just as the alu stuff was coming out --- ~late '69?

Or maybe number-stamping had a different purpose? My stamped alu lid looks to've come off an 'E' . . . so maybe I'm in the wrong forum? Maybe number-stamping is for 'E' cars --- not an an 'S' feature, at all?

Or maybe a lot of these alu lids got added to cars as over-the-counter replacements after the cars left the Faktory . . . especially because the lid is fragile --- regardless of material . . . and alu was just a No Big Deal replacement part, light + cheap?

Any 'E' Owners w/ number-stamped lids?

[RSTarga]

I think the 356 series were more hand built and they continued the 356 hand fitting at the start of the 911 series. They fitted everything in the raw and then stamped the parts so they wouldn't get mixed up in paint. As the stampings got better with the 911 they probably no longer had to do as much bodywork for everything to match up.

[LongRanger]

. . . I think the 356 series were more hand built and they continued the 356 hand fitting at the start of the 911 series . . .

Yeah . . . and as Porsche's production numbers/volumes picked-up --- and to speed things up + cut costs . . . I think that it would've been hard to keep this practice going